Episode 38: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

Lunar: The Silver Star is a tale of love and adventure which has been remade more than most games in history. First released in 1992 for the SEGA CD, it has existed in one form or another on different consoles, handhelds and even phones. Most agree that the definitive version is the original PlayStation’s Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, the version we played for the podcast this fortnight.

Alex dreams of becoming the next Dragon Master, one of the storied heroes of legend, but he has a long way to go before attaining those dreams. For now, Alex is simply content with exploring a forgotten dragon’s cave in search of treasure.
But what begins as a simple adventure with his friends quickly spirals into a series of events far more dangerous than Alex could ever have imagined.

Join Pat and James as they put Lunar to the test, finding out if it truly stood the test of time.
Is a whimsical adventure filled with simple romance and turn-based combat a recipe for the ages? Or have we moved beyond this style of storytelling, leaving Lunar in the dust?

On this episode, we discuss:

• What exactly constitutes grinding? Can a game which scales to your level even have it?
  Pat and James disagree.
• Have stories about a bunch of teens going on an adventure worn out their welcome, or can charming characters save an otherwise simple narrative?
• How enjoyable is managing health and mana throughout extended engagements? Are turn based battles better with a fully healed party?

We answer these questions and many more on the 38th episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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We guested over on Will and Drew’s Gaming Retrospective! Each week Will and Drew talk video games and the game industry, or they interview idiots like us! Listen in to part 1 and part 2 of our interview where we talk Dark Souls, Fighting Games and the games that defined us and our gaming philosophies!

Will and Drew’s website can be found here!

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Enjoy the show? Did you find Pat’s take a little..controversial? Or even stupid? Take the argument to us directly on our community discord server! We’ll be sure to respond in kind!